Windows 7 far better than Vista

Published 4:00 am, Monday, October 12, 2009

Q:I'm thinking seriously about upgrading to Windows 7 when it comes out this month. Is the new operating system that much better than Windows Vista, which is what I now have? Also, what will it cost?

A: In a word, yes, it is significantly better than Vista. I don't think Vista was as bad as its reputation would imply, but it was a step backward from Windows XP, and for that reason alone, it was a failure.

With Windows 7, which will be released Oct. 22, Microsoft has regained its footing. The new system is a pleasure to use - and a lot more in sync with users' needs. For example, the taskbar at the bottom of the screen has been completely redesigned. When you click a taskbar icon for a running program, thumbnails appear for all of the program's open windows (documents, Web pages, even video). Point your mouse at one of the thumbnails, and it will expand to fill the screen.

Windows 7 boasts a number of improvements, including the best backup program in Microsoft history; a Media Center that's a top-notch DVR for recording TV; easier-to-use wireless networking for notebooks; and a security scheme that lets you cut down on the irritating warnings you get in Vista.

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The only disappointing aspect about Windows 7 is the price - $120 for the Home Premium upgrade. I was hoping Microsoft would price it at half that to make amends for Vista.

Q:My computer died, so I had to get a new one and was unable to retrieve all of the stuff from my old computer, including my music on iTunes. I can't find a way to use the iTunes software to transfer songs to my new PC. Any suggestions for a workaround - and why can't you transfer music from the iPod to a PC in iTunes?

A: Let's take the second question first. Apple makes a gazillion dollars selling music on iTunes. If it were easy to copy music from an iPod to a computer, that would also make it easy to create CDs and sell them. So it's a piracy issue more than anything else.

As one would expect, a cottage industry has emerged for programs that transfer music from an iPod to a PC. And, although they're not expensive, most are not free. I say most, because the Web site codershole.com offers a free program called iDump that lets you transfer music from an iPod to a Windows PC. It works with all iPods except the Touch and iPhone. And boy, is it popular. At download.com, where you also can get it, it's been downloaded more than 1.2 million times since June.

Q:I would like to open an e-mail account with Gmail, but I'd like to retain my e-mails and contacts from Hotmail, which has been my primary address for over 10 years. Is there an easy way to do that?

A: What you need is TrueSwitch, a nifty service that lets you transfer e-mail and addresses when you switch from one e-mail or Internet provider to another. It also can notify contacts of your new e-mail address, forward mail from your old account (as long as you keep it open) and even cancel your old account for you. And what does this cost? Just $19.95 (I'm starting to sound like Billy Mays, may he rest in peace). Anyway, after opening your Gmail account, go to trueswitch.com, where you can take care of everything.

A last thought: If you're not completely sold on Gmail, consider switching to Yahoo Mail instead. It's just as good, and some users prefer its traditional folders to Gmail's new-fangled message labels. But the important point here is that Yahoo has an arrangement with TrueSwitch that lets new Yahoo Mail users avail themselves of TrueSwitch for free.

Apple auction: A recent column featured a question from a reader who wanted to sell an Apple 1 - the first personal computer - that had the added advantage of bearing the signature of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

The seller wanted to put it up for auction on eBay and asked about ways to drum up publicity. I suggested that such a rare and collectable computer would practically sell itself. And it did.

Based on past auctions of authentic Apple 1's, experts predicted it could fetch $14,000 to $16,000. On Oct. 3, it was snapped up for the "Buy It Now" price of $17,950. Pretty cool.

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